Hello from Central Indiana!

[kanina]

I finally have gotten started. I helped my grandma with her flock through college but moved away and got married, I've missed it since. My husband was super hesitant but finally we started our own flock

after I cared for my grandmas flock through winter.

In February we bought 17 chicks, some for us, some for gram, and had the pleasure of a STANKY house for a few weeks until they moved to the garage and finally outside with some heat. We originally had 5 Buff Orpingtons (four mine, one hers), 2 Light Brahmas (couldn't leave them in the tank alone), 2 EEs (them either), and 1 Aussie. Then grandma found some Ameraucanas (I wanted) and Marans (her favorite). So then we added 5 Ameraucanas, 1 Black Maran, and 1 Blue Maran, and they're just a week apart.

My first plan was to keep the Orps and EEs. Then the Ameraucanas came along and I was going to keep 2 Orps, the EEs and 2 Ameraucanas. Then the Brahmas started talking and I forgot how much I loved their sounds and I'm just lost on what to keep.

We just finished putting in our coop (TSC), loaded with a nice nipple waterer and a PVC feeder that will hopefully stay "clean." And my coop is holding the EEs *(my husband loves the EEs, Racer and Heather), the two Brahmas because I can't give them up (Dixie and Trixie), an Orpington who likes to walk around the yard with me (no name) and an Ameraucana because dammit I want a colored egg (no name).





The big discussion right now is whether to give my grandma the Brahmas and adopt a couple laying hens or just let things be as they are. I'm sure I'll post an update. Or if you know someone looking to rehome a laying Brahma let me know!



(My grandma broke her pelvis last year and I helped thin her flock to three hens and a roo, we rehomed them to some family that has a nice farm. I brought those four lovely birds home and took care of them through winter. I was getting one egg a day from Alice, but the other two weren't interested. I just took them back home about a month ago and my grandma is getting 2-4 eggs daily (WUT). I contribute it to their limited mobility at my house.)

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under kanina

Welcome!

Thank you for a lovely introduction which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

You might want to also pop in and say hello on your local thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you ‘Find your State’s thread.

If you would like to share pictures and stories of your flock, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC - great that you have joined us

 

[Trish1974]

Welcome fellow hoosier!

 

[drumstick diva]

Thank for joining us at Backyard chickens

 

[kanina]

So two weeks later and the flock is settled. I've decided to part with the Brahmas and Easter Eggers. The EEs were too... aggressive I guess. I decided to keep another Ameraucana pullet and the roo. He's started crowing and it is obnoxiously pathetic, but he'll learn. We also ended up getting what I was told are British Tailed Araucana hens, but as was pointed out to me, their combs aren't quite right and their coloring is more polish. But my goal there was to get two pretty laying hens, which is what I got.

Thank you for all the welcomes everyone. Next thing on my to do list is to change their feed up. I'm looking at a few different recipes, but haven't decided where to go with everything.

 

[Finnie]

I looked into fermented feed, and I'm planning to give it a try, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. So many other things on my plate, and it's easier to just keep my regular dry feed routine for now. But I read good things about fermented.